Thursday, April 5, 2012

Greek Love

Zeus & his eromenos Ganymede

Pederasty, one of the social institutions of ancient Greece, is central to my story. Pederasty is a mentor relationship between an older male aristocrat and a youth of the same class. The relationship was more about instruction in the arts of being a nobleman and less about the sexual aspects. "Greek love" is not what most people assume it to be.

"Greek love" is not even Greek in origin. The practice first developed in Crete where it coincided with the youth's coming-of-age when the young man began his military training and induction into the cult of Zeus. The youth, known as erômenos or beloved, was usually in his teens. Some sources say as young as thirteen, but most believe starting at between fifteen and seventeen years of age. The relationship usually ended when the young man reached his mid-20s; although, it could continue until the man was 30 in some cases.

Erastes and eromenos
Alexios is eighteen, a little old, but what can you do with modern mores? We all know that boy has been active for years, but I'm not allowed to comment on that. So there will be no reminiscing with Galen about his youthful escapades. That's probably just as well, Galen would want to kill him by the time he got done listing all the skirts he has lifted!

The older man, known as the erastes or lover, could be as young as his early 20s, but was often in his 30s. Not quite a May/December relationship, more of a Daddy/Son situation in today's terminology. With the Spartans, that was literally how they defined it. He was the youth's mentor.

Erestes courting eromenos
King Lykos is one of the kings invited to Alexios' coming-of-age celebration as a possible father-in-law/mentor. Lykos is a mature bear of a man with confidence in spades, exactly the kind of man a youth would chose to be his mentor. He is in his late 30s, powerfully built with body hair and a beard. He and Alexios hit it off right from the start, much to Alexios' father's disgust.

The erastes courted the youth, not unlike modern couples, with gifts; however, there was one significant difference. He would fondle the young man's cock while grasping his chin, forcing the supposedly modest youth to maintain eye contact. Maybe the ancient aristocrats had a better grasp on the true way to another man's heart.

Pederasty was intended as a way of linking individuals and family lines without requiring a marriage. It was networking at its most basic level, allowing the influence of the older man to smooth the way for the untried youth. The pair was expected to continue to be close once the relationship ended.

Intercrural Sex
The sexual aspects of the relationship varied. Most were sexually active to one degree or another in a society that was culturally bi-curious. Intercrural sex, where the erastes thrust between the creamy thighs of his erômenos, was the norm. This preserved the masculinity of the erômenos and kept even the straight youths from feeling ill-treated.

Mirroring the mortal world, almost all of the Greek gods have male lovers. Most of them had multiple male lovers. Apollo's love affairs with men were often short lived. Hyacinth, a prince of Sparta, was killed by a jealous god. Cyparissus accidentally slew a deer (a pederastic gift) given to him by Apollo and was turned into a cypress tree in his grief. Leucates threw himself to his death when Apollo attempted to carry him off.

The myth of Zeus and Ganymede is one of the few instances of a god loving a mortal man that ended well. Zeus in the form of an eagle abducted the beautiful youth and took him to Mount Olympus. Once there, Zeus made the young man immortal and kept him as his cup bearer.

Alexios finds himself being offered to Apollo and doesn't know if he will survive the experience.

Blurb: 

The mature King Lykos has a sexy confidence that turns Alexios' head. Seduced by Lykos, Prince Alexios discovers a world of men he's never known before.
Meanwhile his slave Galen has gotten tired of waiting in the wings. He sets out to woo Alexios and win his heart.
Even Apollo can't leave Alexios alone. The young prince finds himself pursued by a god and in danger of a perilous love.
How will Alexios follow his heart when he unwittingly wins the favor of a god? Can Alexios escape the fate of Apollo's past lovers and have the man he wants?


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Excerpt:

After seeing to the fiery steed, he paused to give his own colt some of the fragrant grass and scratch his ears. The shift in his colt's ears alerted Alexios to the presence of someone else in the stable. With a final pat on the withers, he turned toward the intruder, pleased to find Lykos.

Lykos descended on him with fire in his eyes. A shiver raced through his body as Alexios realized he wanted whatever the older man had in mind. Once more his cock stirred to life as Lykos swept toward him like a wave before the storm.

"Ah, there you are. I wondered if I would still find you here. It took me longer to get away from the others than I would have liked."

"You followed me?"

"I asked your brother where you had gone."

He crashed down upon Alexios and bore him back against the side of the stall. The king slipped both hands under Alexios' tunic, grabbed his ass, and tugged their groins together. Alexios thrust against Lykos almost before he could get his hands on the hips surging against him like the tide.

"I knew you wanted me. I watched you get hard on the deck of my ship."

"Maybe that was just the excitement of being on a warship, naked in front of the whole crew."

Lykos threw back his head and laughed, startling several of the drowsy horses. "We shall see about that!"

Blunt fingers massaged and parted the hillocks of Alexios' ass before one probed his hidden valley. Like the advance scout of a conquering king, the digit explored him with a thoroughness that caught him unaware and left him breathless. When Lykos' finger passed over his opening, the tip pressed lightly. His blood thundered in his ears so loud he almost didn't hear the groan that ripped from his throat.

"Like that, do you?" Wine scented breath played along his neck. "I'll show you other things you will like even more," the dark voice promised more of the world of men Alexios had just discovered.

Alexios allowed himself to be turned until he faced the wall. Cool air washed over his lower body as Lykos eased his tunic up to his waist. Something hot and hard slid between his nether cheeks, rubbing up and down his crack. When the head pushed against his hole, he leaned back. He wanted more, but had no idea how to go about getting what his body craved.

A deep chuckle vibrated against his back. "Easy. There will be plenty of time for that. But for now we'll take it slow."

The older man thrust up his cleft a few more times. Lykos shifted and his cock slipped under Alexios' ass to rub on the sensitive skin behind his sac. He pulled Alexios' hips back against his groin until the head of his cock mashed against Alexios' balls. With a groan, Alexios placed his crossed forearms on the wall and rested his head on them, pushing his hips back into Lykos' solid body.

Alexios smiled at the sudden hitch in the older man's breathing. Maybe the control didn't rest solely in Lykos' hands.

"You want me, Prince? I'll give you all you can handle."

"I think you want me too."

"I'll show you what I want you for!"

Hard hands drifted over his hips and thighs, stroking the skin and making his body tingle. He pushed back against the strong body holding him, shoving the head of Lykos' cock into his balls again. Twin moans entwined in the dark air.

"Squeeze your legs together tightly." The sexy rumble commanded instant obedience and a thrill shot down Alexios' spine.

Girls had never had half this effect on him when he fucked them. Why were men so much more arousing? Did he enjoy the take-charge attitude of the man holding him? Did he prefer hard bodies and firm hands over feminine softness? The answer to his questions rose ever-proud before him. Precum leaked down his length and pooled in the dark hairs at the shaft's base.

One hand grasped his hip and held him steady as Lykos drove his engorged cock between Alexios' thighs. The other hand wrapped around Alexios' damp cock, gliding up his shaft to squeeze the head with a gentleness unexpected in hands used to the sword. The firm grip slid back down to the base, the moist friction heaven on Alexios' skin.

His panting breaths matched the gasps of the older man as he thrust with growing fervor into the king's hand. Lykos let him set the pace. He stood while Alexios' hips snapped forward into his hand then drew back against him, rubbing the man's hard cock over the sensitive skin and into his balls.

"Come for me, erômenos."

With an inarticulate cry, Alexios pulsed out string after string of pearly cum. Dazed by his release, he wondered how much cum a man could spend in one day before he ran dry. When the last spasm left him weak, he slumped back against Lykos.

Muscled arms encircled his waist and kept him upright as the older man plunged between his legs with increasing urgency. His balls swung back and forth under the onslaught. Lykos surged forward and buried the entire length of his cock within the sheath of Alexios' sweat slicked skin. Hot cum bathed his balls as the man holding him twitched his hips forward in a series of shallow thrusts.

Lykos' weight on his back bore them both down against the wall, pinning Alexios beneath the king's larger, heavier frame. Content to be held in place while their harsh breathing slowed, Alexios marveled at the speed at which he had yielded to the man.

"You called me 'erômenos.' I'm not your beloved. You aren't my mentor yet."

Lykos nuzzled the back of his neck and nibbled on his ear. "Is there any doubt? Theocritus enjoys bringing a youth to heel. Andronikos doesn't have the taste for taking an erômenos. Philon is too old and his daughters already wed."

After their breathing slowed, the king stirred. Lykos stepped away from him, allowing his tunic to drop back down into place. Alexios' cum covered cock and balls grew clammy. He reeked of sex. He hoped his father and the other kings would think he had indulged with one of the slave girls. His standing with his father, not to mention his father's plans to acquire an advantageous alliance, would suffer if any of the other kings discovered what he had just done. He resolved to garner an alliance with the man who had just shown him a world he wanted to become part of.

"I believe you are competing in three days. When I see you there, naked before everyone, I'll remember that you wore my seed."

Alexios endeavored to settle his tunic to hide the evidence of what they had just done. The cum on his cock and balls made the cloth cling suggestively to him. He searched in vain for something to wipe the thick fluid off. After noticing the amusement on Lykos' face, he settled for washing with some of the water from the large collecting tank. He might not be wearing the man's seed any more, but the smell clung to him and his clothing.

"Now, my young prince, return to your father's house. I will remain here a little longer."

Lykos aimed a playful swat at Alexios' ass as he left the stable.

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